Report on Huntsman's Cast Steel

0 APPENDIX JJ REPORT ON HUNTSMAN'S CAST STEEL Reproduction of a Testimonial issued by Fourness and Ashworth, Engineers to their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Clarence, 28th March 1792, printed in booklet form in both English and French versions TO THE PUBLIC In justice to Mr. Huntsman, who makes the best Cast Steel, in this, or perhaps any other country, we wish to present Society at large with the following brief character of it, which, as persons who have for several years been in the practice of using it, we shall at all times be ready to confirm. We have made trial of different kinds of Cast Steel, but never met with any that would abide the same execution as Huntsman's. The efficient properties of Mr. Huntsman's Cast Steel are simply two, namely extreme hardness combined with great toughness and ductility. A point may be made that will cut glass, and at the same time, endure arduous work, as a Turning Tool for any kind of metal, without undergoing those frequent repairs necessary to tools made of other steel. It is calculated also to take the highest polish; therefore for Burnishing Tools, and Plates to it beat or roll any kind of metal to a fine surface upon, possesses a decided superiority; and, as to Dies, there is perhaps no Steel that can be made into a face of equal hardness and durability. For Buckles, Buttons, and other articles of the steel kind, to which great super- ficial brilliancy is requisite, there is, we believe, not another fabric of steel so completely adequate. Indeed, as a hint to Opticians it is probable this Steel would admit of a polish sufficient for Speculums; for Mirrors it is particularly suitable. By a judicious workman, a plate of this Steel can be laid to, and united firmly with any malleable Iron or Steel, of even an ordinary kind. There are many Smiths, within the compass of our knowledge, who have not been able to find out the real qualities of this Steel, on account of having had no previous instruction relative to the working of it. It has often been said, and amongst other incorrect statements it has been asserted that the Huntsman Cast Steel could not be united or welded to any other Steel APPENDIX JJ continued -2 or Iron; but the opinion is a mistaken one, because we can satisfactorily prove to any person that Mr. Huntsman's Cast Steel may be securely united or welded to any other Steel or forged Iron. To elucidate this fact is one part of the design of this testimonial. When Smiths use Cast Steel, they frequently imagine that it requires the same heat commonly given to other Steel before it comes under the hammer; nay, some indeed think it necessary to give the same heat to it as they would give to Iron; whereas, if instead of this erroneous method, Huntsman's Cast Steel were treated with care in the fire by the smith who works it, it might be brought into any required congenial state. It might, as already observed, be laid to any piece of wrought Iron or Steel. In fine, two pieces of the same Steel, at a proper welding heat, will firmly unite under the hammer together. Steel of so fine a texture as it is, cannot bear excessive heat, since excessive heat undoubtedly destroys one of the two of its virtual properties, we mean its toughness. For the facing of Anvils and Hammers, and the making of cold Chissels, no other Steel we have been able to select can bear any competition with it. It may be tempered to any degree of hardness, and again meliorated to any degree of mildness or ductility. Needles of all denominations, Fish-hooks of every kind, we are enabled to certify, may be much relied on, when made of this Steel. Likewise (to be concise) Edged Tools of every description made of the same; Screw Taps and Plates, Drills and Boring Bits, Points of Tools for the digging of ores, coal, &c., most of which we have some acquaintance with, are more to be confided in than any other we have tried. It may not be unnecessary to observe (since the idea of interestedness generally produces bias) that we have no connection whatever with Mr. Huntsman, nor is it at all at his request or instance, we lay before the public this sketch of the qualities of his Steel; for, we ingenuously believe, were the nature and properties of it better and more universally understood, mechanics in general would be benefitted (since to all mechanical workmen, safe and durable tools are of great importance) and the ingenuity and industry of the man who prepares it, by an extension of his sale, might be better rewarded. We are still the more induced to present to the public this impartial, but APPENDIX JJ continued -3 imperfect character of Huntsman's Steel, as we understand that during the course of more than thirty years of time devoted to the manufacturing of it, he has so much neglected his own interest and credit, as never to give the public, thro' any general or circular medium, any account whatever of his Steel. It was by accident that we learnt there was such Steel, after being much put about to get such as would make Tools to perform services which we could get no other Steel to stand. All the orders we have since given Mr. Huntsman by pattern, have been executed according to pattern. Springs of all sorts, scroll as well as others, may in general be depended on when made of this Steel and suit- ably tempered; Huntsman, however, has suffered much by some manufacturers, or perhaps agents unfairly making use of his stamp, therefore it would be prudent for those who wish to make trial of the genuine article, to purchase it from traders of known integrity, and such as do business with Huntsman himself, as there will probably always be some who would not scruple to deal surreptitiously in an article of high character. The whole of this information we offer to the public, as friends of a man who we think ought in an advanced stage of life, as well as for his own gratification, as his family's prosperity and comfort, to be repaid by an increase in trade, for his expenditure of time, and his sedulity in contributing to the convenience of the mechanical part of society. APPENDIX KK CAST STEEL MANUFACTURE IN FRANCE IN 1793 Extracts from a Report by Hassenfratz on the Manufacture of Cast Steel by the Citizen le Normand at Graville, dated 15th May 1793. Manuscript in the French National Archives. Reference F14.4485. Translation by the author. The iron cemented by the Citizen le Normand is Swedish. The furnace used has two chests within one structure. Each chest, judged by eye, is about 120" long, 32" wide and 40" deep. * The chests are made with bricks of ordinary thick- ness; they are heated by coal. The hearth is between the two chests; the fire circulates around in a space of 8"; the two chests are separated from each other by a similar space so that the fire may pass between them. The space around the chest is interrupted every 12" by transverse bricks which separate the chests from one another and from the walls of the furnace. The space is closed by a vault and the smoke escapes through a chimney placed at the middle of the furnace. Two openings made in the side wall of the furnace along the length of the chests allow the charging of the chests; these are closed up when the furnace is fired. In the walls at the ends of the chests are the openings for the trial bars. The firing ordinarily lasts three, four or five days, according to the size of the bars. I do not know the con- sumption of fuel or what is used to cement the iron; I believe that only charcoal is used as cement. Blister steel of good quality is drawn down under the large hammer. That drawn down in my presence had a good uniformly fine grain and appeared suitable for a number of applica- tions. Up to now it has almost entirely been used for the manufacture of files. (There follows a description of file making, which has not been translated) * With the normal packing of iron and charcoal, this would give around 6 tons of iron per chest or 12 tons per furnace. APPENDIX KK continued -2 The blister steel is also melted in crucibles and this is the source of the Graville cast steel. * A secret has been made of the flux used. I was told by the person who allowed me to see the works that they did not use glass, whilst those who directed operations told me in Paris on my return that they used white glass. The small amount of flux which I saw on the shell of steel left from a melt spoiled by the fusion of the crucible persuaded me that they had used a very fusible glass. It is clearly an essential condition that, whatsoever flux is used, it must not contain any metal other than iron nor any other substance such as sulphur or phos- phorus which might give to the steel the bad properties of being either hot or cold short. I did not see the details of the melting of steel, firstly, because they were not melting when I visited the works and, secondly, because the operation is secret.

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